1.
Folsom Field
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Folsom Field is an outdoor football stadium in the western United States, located on the campus of the University of Colorado in Boulder. It is the field of the Colorado Buffaloes of the Pac-12 Conference. Opened 93 years ago in 1924, the horseshoe-shaped stadium runs in the traditional north-south configuration, the CU athletic administration center, named after 1950s head coach Dal Ward, is located at the north end. The playing field returned to grass in 1999 and sits at an elevation of 5,360 feet. Folsom Field is the third highest stadium in college football, behind only Wyoming. Gamble Field was the home of Colorado football for two decades, through 1924 mid-season, opened as Colorado Stadium, Folsom Field has been the home of Colorado Buffaloes football since. Through the 2016 season, the Buffs have a record of 308–169–14. Colorado Stadium was renamed Folsom Field in 1944, following the death of coach Fred Folsom and he coached the Buffs from 1895 to 1902 and 1908 to 1915, compiling a 78–24–2 overall record. In 2008, Folsom Field became the first zero-waste stadium in the NCAA by instituting a recycling and composting program. When opened in 1924, the stadium had a capacity of 26,000. A major expansion in 1956 raised the height of the stadium, in 1967,6,000 more seats were added with the removal of the running track, the track and field team relocated to Potts Field on the East Campus. A huge, six-level press box was added in 1968 to the top of the west side grandstand, directly in front of Balch Fieldhouse, renovations continued in 1976 when the old, rickety wooden bleachers were replaced with aluminum ones, raising the capacity to 52,005. In 2003, suites and club seating were added to the east side of the stadium, since the 2003 renovation 137 seats with obstructed views have been removed lowering the seating capacity to 53,613. In 2014, construction for an expansion has started. This expansion includes a new practice facility, a high performance sports center. From 1924 through 1970, the surface at Folsom Field was natural grass. In the summer of 1971, AstroTurf was installed and the first game played on the new surface was against Wyoming on September 18. The 1971 Buffs finished third in the AP Poll behind Nebraska and Oklahoma, the synthetic turf was replaced in 1978 and again in 1989, with Astroturf-8

2.
American football
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The offense must advance at least ten yards in four downs, or plays, or else they turn over the football to the opposing team, if they succeed, they are given a new set of four downs. Points are primarily scored by advancing the ball into the teams end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponents goalposts for a field goal. The team with the most points at the end of a game wins, American football evolved in the United States, originating from the sports of association football and rugby football. The first game of American football was played on November 6,1869, during the latter half of the 1870s, colleges playing association football switched to the Rugby Union code, which allowed carrying the ball. American football as a whole is the most popular sport in the United States, Professional football and college football are the most popular forms of the game, with the other major levels being high school and youth football. As of 2012, nearly 1.1 million high school athletes and 70,000 college athletes play the sport in the United States annually, almost all of them men, in the United States, American football is referred to as football. The term football was established in the rulebook for the 1876 college football season. The terms gridiron or American football are favored in English-speaking countries where other codes of football are popular, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, American football evolved from the sports of association football and rugby football. What is considered to be the first American football game was played on November 6,1869 between Rutgers and Princeton, two college teams, the game was played between two teams of 25 players each and used a round ball that could not be picked up or carried. It could, however, be kicked or batted with the feet, hands, head or sides, Rutgers won the game 6 goals to 4. Collegiate play continued for years in which matches were played using the rules of the host school. Representatives of Yale, Columbia, Princeton and Rutgers met on October 19,1873 to create a set of rules for all schools to adhere to. Teams were set at 20 players each, and fields of 400 by 250 feet were specified, Harvard abstained from the conference, as they favored a rugby-style game that allowed running with the ball. An 1875 Harvard-Yale game played under rugby-style rules was observed by two impressed Princeton athletes and these players introduced the sport to Princeton, a feat the Professional Football Researchers Association compared to selling refrigerators to Eskimos. Princeton, Harvard, Yale and Columbia then agreed to play using a form of rugby union rules with a modified scoring system. These schools formed the Intercollegiate Football Association, although Yale did not join until 1879, the introduction of the snap resulted in unexpected consequences. Prior to the snap, the strategy had been to punt if a scrum resulted in bad field position, however, a group of Princeton players realized that, as the snap was uncontested, they now could hold the ball indefinitely to prevent their opponent from scoring. In 1881, both teams in a game between Yale-Princeton used this strategy to maintain their undefeated records, each team held the ball, gaining no ground, for an entire half, resulting in a 0-0 tie

3.
Ralphie the Buffalo
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Ralphie the Buffalo is the name of the live mascot of the University of Colorado Buffaloes. Ralphie has been called one of the best live mascots in sports, Ralphie can reach speeds of 25 miles per hour. Female bison are used because they are smaller and less aggressive, as well as for insurance reasons, because of this, whether or not Ralphie runs is at the sole discretion of her handlers, and her run may be canceled if she is unusually nervous or upset. The tradition began in 1934, three weeks after the selection of Buffaloes as a nickname for the University in a contest by the school newspaper, live bison continued to make sporadic appearances at CU games. Ralphie I was donated to the school in 1966 by John Lowery, the father of a CU freshman from Lubbock, Texas, initially, she was given the name Ralph, because of the noise she made while running. After a sharp-eyed sister of Colorados Delta Delta Delta pointed out that the bison was a female, however, the tradition of running Ralphie around in a loop on the field started October 28,1967 during CUs homecoming game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys which CU lost 10–7. Ralphie attended all home games and bowl games until her retirement in 1978. Her final game was on November 4,1978 against Oklahoma and she achieved national celebrity status and was kidnapped in 1970 by Air Force Academy cadets. She was also voted the queen in 1971. Ralphie II, originally named Moon, made her debut on November 18,1978, the home game of the season and last game for head coach Bill Mallory for CU. Her name was changed to Ralphie II because the name had become so popular, Ralphie II suddenly and unexpectedly died on September 19,1987, following a 31–17 win over the Stanford Cardinal. She was expected to retire at the end of the 1987 season and was kept at the Parker Ranch, featured in the picture are, Ken Kramer, Todd Benson, and Kirk Petrik. Ralphie III was pressed into service with five weeks of training due to the sudden. She was being trained to replace Ralphie II, who was due to retire at the end of the 1987 season, Ralphie III made her first appearance on November 7,1987 in a 27–10 win against the Missouri Tigers. John and Shaaron Parker donated the orphan, who was kept at the Parker Ranch. At the 1993 Fiesta Bowl, four of the five students running with Ralphie III slipped, only the student in front was left. Ralphie was loose for a period of time and her final game was against Nebraska on November 28,1997, Colorado lost 24-27. The first Division I female athlete to run Ralphie was Anne C, griggs, who first ran Ralphie III in 1994

4.
Colorado Buffaloes football
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The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pac-12 Conference, having previously been a member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12, they were members of the Big Eight Conference, the CU football team has played at Folsom Field since 1924. The Buffs all-time record is 694–493–36 prior to the Valero Alamo Bowl at the end of the 2016 season, Colorado won a National Championship in 1990. The football program is 23rd on the all-time win list and 30th in all-time winning percentage, the football team also has the distinction of being the all-time NCAA leader in 4th down conversions. They are one of two NCAA Division I teams to complete a 5th down conversion and this was a result of a mistake by the officials and happened on a play displayed by chaincrew as the 4th down. Beginning in 1890, Colorado football has enjoyed success throughout its 125+ years of competitive play. Folsom Field was built in 1924, and since then, Colorado has a 308–169–14 record at home through the 2016 season, the road game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on November 24,2006 was Colorados 1, 100th football game. The game on September 12,2015 against Massachusetts was the schools 1, Colorado won its first national championship in 1990 under the direction of head coach Bill McCartney, who helmed the team from 1982 to 1994. The national title was split with Georgia Tech who won the United Press International Coaches Poll, whereas Colorado won the Associated Press and Football Writers Association of America polls. The largest arguments against Colorado were that they had a loss and a tie, whereas Georgia Tech had a tie and no losses, and Colorados unfair win in the Fifth Down Game against Missouri. Another major controversy was a Colorados Orange Bowl win over Notre Dame, the major argument for Colorado was that they played a more difficult schedule than Georgia Tech. Colorado capped the season with a 10–9 win over Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl, Colorados tie came against Tennessee, who was ranked #8, the first week of the season when Colorado was ranked #5. The second week gave the Buffs a scare, scoring with 12 seconds left in the game on a 4th, the next week gave Colorado its only loss of the season, losing 23–22 to Illinois and dropping Colorado to #20 in the polls. Colorado then went on to teams ranked #22 Texas, #12 Washington, #22 Oklahoma. They ended the season 7–0 in the Big Eight Conference for the second straight season and they then capped the season with a win over Notre Dame who were number 1 until a loss in their second to last game of the regular season. A traditional college football rivalry with the Nebraska Cornhuskers restarted in the 1980s when Bill McCartney declared the conference opponent to be their rival and his theory was since Nebraska was such a powerhouse team, if Colorado was able to beat them then they would be a good team. Colorado began to repeatedly threaten Nebraska in the late 1980s, following their win over the Huskers in 1986, in 1990, Colorado beat Nebraska 27–12 in Lincoln for the first time since 1967, en route to their first national title

5.
Rumble in the Rockies
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The Rumble in the Rockies is an American college football rivalry between the University of Colorado Buffaloes from Boulder and the University of Utah Utes of Salt Lake City. After nearly five decades of dormancy, the rivalry was revived six years ago in 2011, from 1903 until 1962, Utah and Colorado played each other nearly every year, a total of 57 games. At that time, it was the second-most played rivalry for both teams, after the 1962 meeting, a second consecutive win by Utah, the teams stopped playing each other in football. As part of the 2010–13 NCAA conference realignment, both Utah and Colorado joined the Pac-12 in 2011 and were placed in its new South Division, they met that year on Black Friday in Salt Lake. The second game since the realignment was at Boulder and was the first Black Friday college football game to be telecast by the Fox Broadcasting Company. Prior to the resumption of the rivalry, Colorado played Nebraska on Thanksgiving weekend since the formation of the Big 12 Conference in 1996 in front of a television audience. Before 1996 in the Big Eight, Nebraska traditionally ended its season with rival Oklahoma, while CU had no strong conference rivalry. Utah traditionally played nearby rival BYU of Provo in the heated Holy War on Thanksgiving weekend, they have met every year since 1946, the CU–NU rivalry went on hold when Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011, while Utahs game with BYU was moved to mid-September. BYU left the Mountain West Conference to become a independent in 2011. Despite the near half-century hiatus, the Colorado–Utah rivalry remains the fifth-most played rivalry in Utahs history, for 38 years, Utah and Colorado were members of the same conference. From 1910 to 1937, they played in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, and were both members of the Mountain States Athletic Conference from 1938 to 1947. Of those 38 seasons, either Utah or Colorado won at least a share of the conference title 27 times, the two schools shared the Mountain States Conference title in 1942. The most notable meetings during this era occurred in 1936 and 1937 and he ran for one touchdown from scrimmage that day, and threw for another. But the future Supreme Court justice was most dominant on special teams, as the punter, White kept Utahs offense backed up all game. And as a returner, he also returned one kickoff. Although Utah was favored to win, Colorado won 31–7, Utahs lone touchdown in the game was a kickoff return for a touchdown by Joseph Wirthlin. In 1937, Colorado went into Salt Lake undefeated and unchallenged – having outscored opponents 162–6 en route to a 5–0 record, however, they found themselves trailing Utah at halftime 7–0. But from there, Whizzer White took control of the game, White first got CU on the board with a third-quarter field goal

6.
Myron E. Witham
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Myron Ellis Witham was an American football player, coach of football and baseball, and mathematics professor. He served as the football coach at Purdue University in 1906 and at the University of Colorado at Boulder from 1920 to 1931. He was also the baseball coach Colorado from 1920 to 1925. Witham was born in Pigeon Cove, Massachusetts on October 29,1880 and he attended Dartmouth College and was captain of the football team there in 1903. Witham taught mathematics at Purdue, Colorado, the University of Vermont and he died on March 7,1973 in Burlington, Vermont. Myron E. Witham at the College Football Data Warehouse

7.
1924 college football season
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Notre Dame and Stanford were both unbeaten at seasons end, with the Fighting Irish winning the Rose Bowl contest 27-10. The Penn Quakers were retroactively awarded a championship by Parke H. Davis. Red Granges Illinois team upset Michigan, the Illini were upset by Minnesota, which in turn was upset by Vanderbilt. Fred Russells Fifty Years of Vanderbilt Football dubs 1924 the most eventful season in the history of Vanderbilt football, Centre claimed a southern title in its last season of national relevance, upsetting Wallace Wades first SoCon champion Alabama team. Alabama would not lose another game until 1927, southern Methodist University beat North Texas 7-0, and Alabama opened with a 55-0 win over Union College of Tennessee. October 4 Missouri opened its season with a 3-0 win at Chicago, Notre Dame opened its season with a 40-0 win over Lombard College. Stanford beat Occidental College 20-6, and California beat St. Marys 17-7, Army beat St. Louis 17-0, Yale beat North Carolina 27-0, and Dartmouth beat Montreals McGill University 52-0. SMU beat Trinity College 14-3 October 11 Notre Dame beat Wabash 34-0, Stanford beat the Olympic Club 7-0 and California defeated Pomona College, 28-0. Army beat Detroits Mercy College, 20-0 and Dartmouth beat Vermont 38-0, in a battle of Bulldogs, Yale beat Georgia 7-6. Missouri defeated Missouri Wesleyan College 14-0, in a Friday game, SMU beat Austin College 7-0 October 18 At the Polo Grounds in New York, Notre Dame beat Army 13-7, the Cadets only loss for the season. In his column the next day, sportswriter Grantland Rice dubbed the Notre Dame backfield in his column of October 20, writing Outlined against a blue-gray October sky, in dramatic lore they are known as famine, pestilence, destruction and death. Their real names are, Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley and Layden, in other games, Yale and Dartmouth played to a 14-14 tie. Stanford defeated Oregon 28-13, while California beat the Olympic Club 9-3, in Birmingham, Alabama beat Sewanee 14-0. Missouri won at Iowa State 7-0, and Chicago defeated Indiana 23-0, October 25 Notre Dame beat Princeton 12-0. In Columbus, Chicago and Ohio State played to a 3-3 tie, at Portland, Oregon, Stanford had a more difficult time than expected in defeating Idaho, 3-0, while California beat Washington State 20-7. Army beat Boston University 20-0, Dartmouth beat Harvard 6-0, at Atlanta, Alabama recorded another shutout, beating Georgia Tech 14-0. SMU and Texas A & M played to a 7-7 tie in Dallas, November 1 California and USC, both unbeaten and untied with records of 5-0-0, met at Berkeley, with California handing the Trojans their first defeat, 7-0. Notre Dame beat visiting Georgia Tech 34-3 Stanford beat Santa Clara 20-0 and California beat visiting USC 7-0 Army, SMU stayed unbeaten with a 6-0 win at TCU

8.
Montana State Bobcats football
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The Montana State Bobcats football program competes in the Big Sky Conference of the NCAAs Division I Football Championship Subdivision for Montana State University. The program began in 1897 and has won three national championships and it is the only college football program in the nation to win national championships on three different levels of competition, NAIA, NCAA Division II, and NCAA Division I-AA. The Bobcats have played in 981 games and their record stands at 486–476–32. The first championship came in Montana States last season in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the national championship was the first ever for the RMAC and was also the first time the NAIA had a football champion. The Bobcats were members of the RMAC from 1917 to 1956, MSC rejoined the NCAA in 1957, and had one of its most successful runs as an independent from 1957 to 1962 with six straight winning seasons, including an 8–2 mark in 1957 and 8–1 in 1958. In 1963, Montana State became a member of the Big Sky Conference. Montana State has won 20 conference titles, including 15 in the Big Sky Conference, the Bobcats have won conference titles in eight of the past nine decades and have won multiple conference titles in seven of the last eight decades. MSU finished the 1926 season undefeated in RMAC conference games, but was not awarded a conference title and they have qualified for the NCAA playoffs eight times, once as a Division II member and seven times as a Division I-AA/FCS member. MSU has been in the twelve times, most recently in 2012. Through the 2016 season, the Bobcats are 12–9–2 in postseason play and their primary rival is Montana, whom they meet in the annual Brawl of the Wild, more commonly referred to as the Cat-Griz game. Before World War II, Montana State football tasted success often, the Bobcats did not record a winning season between 1931 and 1941, MSCs last pre-war squad. The Cats were 1–10 in that stretch against Montana, and were out for eight consecutive years. In 1946, however, things began to change, composed of war-hardened veterans, Clyde Carpenter and the Bobcats rolled up a 5–3–1 regular season record, impressive enough to land the team its first-ever bowl bid. The Bobcats tied New Mexico, 13–13, the 1946 team was special for more than its accomplishments, however. When it reassembled following World War II, its mission was to carry the Bobcat banner after 14 members of Montana States previous team. The only pre-war regular to play in the Harbor Bowl was Bill Zupan, the game was nationally aired on CBS television and radio. It was played on a field that thwarted MSUs offense. The championship was the first for the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the 1956 Bobcats of head coach Tony Storti were the fourth, and last, Montana State football team to go undefeated

9.
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
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The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the western United States, mostly in Colorado with members in Nebraska, New Mexico, and South Dakota. It participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association s Division II, for its first thirty years the RMAC was considered a major conference, equivalent to todays Division I, before seven of its larger members left and formed the Mountain States Conference. The original name of Colorado Faculty Athletic Conference was changed to Rocky Mountain Faculty Athletic Conference on May 7,1910, the presidents assumed control of the league from the faculty in 1967 and changed the name to Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The Colorado Athletic Conference dissolved in 1996 with the RMAC absorbing the remaining CAC teams, colorado–Colorado Springs — was an affiliate member in 1996–97. Fort Lewis College — was a member in 1990–1994. Dixie State — football is a member in 2016–2018. California Baptist — will join the NCAA Division I Western Athletic Conference in 2018, lindenwood — swimming & diving was an affiliate member in 2014–2016. Nebraska–Kearney — was a member in 1989–90, and in 1994–2012. Denver — was a member in 1996–97. Fort Hays State — wrestling was a member in 2006–2012. There have been 48 different schools associated with the RMAC either through full or associate membership, of those schools only the Colorado School of Mines has been with the conference every year since it was founded in 1909. 1910, The league changed its name to the Rocky Mountain Faculty Athletic Conference, the University of Denver and University of Utah join the league, but Colorado College drops out after a fallout with Colorado School of Mines. 1914, Colorado College rejoins the RFMAC, Utah State University also joins the league to bring membership up to seven. 1917, Montana State University joins the conference,1918, Brigham Young University joins the league as the ninth member. 1921, The University of Wyoming joins the conference,1924, Western State College and the University of Northern Colorado join the league, giving the RFMAC12 members. 1937, Colorado, Colorado State, Brigham Young, Utah, Utah State, Wyoming, the five remaining members of the RFMAC were Colorado College, Colorado Mines, Montana State, Northern Colorado and Western State. 1948, Idaho State University joins as the sixth member,1956, Adams State College joins the conference as the seventh member. 1958, Idaho State leaves the conference,1959, Montana State leaves the conference, membership is back down to five

10.
Rocky Mountain Showdown
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The winner of the game receives the Centennial Cup. It began in 1893 and was played annually from 1899–1958, except for 1901,1905 and it was revived in 1983 and played periodically until it was cemented as an annual rivalry in 1995. Sports Authority Field at Mile High is considered neutral ground for teams and has a greater capacity than either universitys home stadium. This is especially true of Hughes Stadium, which has less than half the capacity of Sports Authority Field, since the annual game was renewed in 1995, it has been played only once at Hughes Stadium, in 1996. In August 2009, both agreed to extend the Showdown until 2020, with the 2010–19 games all to be played at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The game was played in Boulder as planned in 2009, in 2015, Colorado athletic director Rick George stated that he wanted to return the series to campus sites, but that it was not in Colorados best interest to extend the series. List of NCAA college football rivalry games